Extent of Trauma Injuries

The numbers of agriculture related injuries and deaths vary from country to country based upon several factors, including the type of work done in that country, preventive measures, the health and nutritional status of the workers, and the medical response to injuries. Tables 25.1 and 25.2 compare agricultural injury and death rates in several countries (1-5).

In many countries, the reporting system for agricultural injuries and deaths is incomplete due to apathy, lack of funds or facilities, or political factors. Many companies and countries don't want the precise numbers known in order to hide the need for preventive measures and safety controls. In Pakistan, for example, official apathy is such that the newspapers provide a more realistic measure of injury and death than does the public health system (16).

As discussed in detail in Chapter 12, children are at greater risk for agriculture injury and death, especially by trauma. Tables 25.3 and 25.4 show the injury and death rates among children in several countries, many of which have aggressive prevention and safety programs (17-20).